This paper presents a discussion of sustainable transportation planning, as well as a wide range of techniques which support the principles of sustainability. Sustainability is defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". The paper describes how sustainable transportation techniques can reduce vehicle trip generation from a community or neighbourhood by as much as 40%. Examples of techniques for sustainable transportation planning which are presented in this paper include: policy measures, such as land use and developement guidelines, travel demand management programs, maximum parking rates in bylaws, employer-provide transportation benefits and interactive community-based planning processes; design techniques, such as redundant street networks, traffic calming measures, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, "human scale" buildings and streets and multi-modal transportation; operational techniques, such as transit priority, ridesharing programs, community bus and demand responsive paratransit systems, parking management, education programs and flexible transit pricing. To illustrate these concepts of sustainable transportation planning, actual examples are used from the author's recent work in B.C. - including Victoria, Chilliwack, Nelson and Kamloops - as well as other examples from elsewhere in North America. (A)
Abstract